“PROGRESSION IS KEY FOR ME” – BRIAN SHOTTON

Ashington FC’s newly-installed chairman Brian Shotton has set out his plans for the clubs – saying he doesn’t just want the Woodhorn Lane club to exist – he is looking for progression.

He took over the reins last week from Ian Lavery – the MP for Wansbeck – who stepped down after 10 years in the hot seat due to his heavy workload. Shotton said: “I’ve always had an interest in the off the field side of football because I was never any good as a player myself. I’ve watched a lot of football in my life with Ashington and Sunderland FC and travel a lot to Germany because I really love the game. But it’s truly a new era here at Ashington because despite the fact that Ian Lavery has done a very good job, the club are facing a lot of difficulties with regards to the coverage we are getting and we need to stem the tide and move in a different direction.

“It is no disrespect to anyone involved but the club has maybe gone a bit stale and needs a recharge – and I think personally with my passion and commitment to the club which has been the best part of my life for 25 years or more – I used to go to the old Portland Park ground to games with my granddad – I know I can drive the club forward.  I’m not promising instant fixes – Steve Bowey has got a good team who are playing well and all I can do is to promise that I’ll be a really good custodian for the club and the town’s team because I know it means a lot to a lot of people.”

Shotton, 34, a self-employed dairy salesman – a role he has undertaken for nine years alongside his father in the family business which is based at Bedlington – continued: “Even though our attendances are not right up there, I do believe we have got a passionate fan base, a good junior set up, a good supporters’ club and we have got an ideal opportunity here in east Ashington to make it a community hub. That’s what I want to do – to involve organisations and make it a place to be; a place to come too. I don’t think it has been used as a community hub but has merely existed. However I don’t want it to just exist – I want it to progress – and that’s the key word for me – progression. That doesn’t merely mean on the field because sometimes you may have to take a step back. Off the field it has got to improve and I’m 100 per cent confident that things will move forward.”

Shotton revealed that he was out of the country with his wife Nicola when he heard of Ian Lavery’s impending departure: “I was away in Sweden watching Ice hockey with Nicola when I received a message, to say Ian (Lavery) was stepping down as chairman and would I be interested in taking over the reins. To be honest it came as a bolt out of the blue because even though I had always wanted to come back to the club in some role, I hadn’t really considered it to be in the near future because I’ve had a quiet spell where I had enjoyed watching different football. I was born in Ashington; live in the town and have got that link with the club – and I don’t think you can turn that down. Basically the opportunity to lead this club is an honour. I’m excited by it – yet at the same time, we do have some challenges to face and I’m tackling them head on.”

By Brian Bennett